Lemon Cookie Sandwiches

One of my favourite dessert choices when we go out for dinner is Italian Lemon Tart, the bright lemon filling with the crisp pastry base. Sweet vs tart, Perfection! These cookies are inspired by just this. The filling for the cookies is the same lemon filling used in lemon tarts, paired with the sweet lemon cookies, it works so well!

Lemon Cookie Sandwich Recipe (makes 12 Cookie Sandwiches)

115g softened butter

200g caster sugar

1 egg

Zest of 1 lemon (keep the lemon for the filling)

1 tsp vanilla extract

200g plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarb

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 175C. Line 2 baking trays.

Sift the flour, bicarb, baking powder and salt and stir with a whisk to evenly distribute.

Beat the butter and sugar until pale.

Add the egg and combine, add the vanilla extract and lemon zest and mix. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all is mixed well.

Add the flour mixture and combine.

Place mixture into the fridge for 1 hour to make it easier to roll into balls.

To ensure you have equal sized cookies to match up at the end I weighed my dough at 24g per ball.

Place 6 per tray and gently flatten a little with your fingers.

Bake for 8-10 minutes while you weigh & roll the next batch of cookies. Continue until you have made 24 cookies.

Allow cookies to cool on the tray before removing as they will still be soft.

In the meanwhile make the lemon filling.

Lemon cream filling

235g sugar

2 eggs

135g butter

50ml lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

Place all ingredients into a small pot.

On a medium heat whisk continuously until the butter is all melted and all the ingredients are combined.

Turn the heat up to high and boil for 4 mins whisking all the time.

Take the mixture off the heat and as it cools it will become thicker. It will not become solid.

While it is cooling make your buttercream.

Vanilla buttercream filling

100g butter softened

200g icing sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

Beat the butter for 2 mins until paler in colour.

Sift icing sugar into butter and beat for 6 mins.

Add vanilla extract and beat for 2 mins.

Choose a piping tip and fill a piping bag with the icing. Pipe an icing ring onto the cookies leaving a space in the middle for the lemon.

Spoon or pipe the lemon filling into the cookies and place another cookie on top.

I hope you give this recipe a try. The sweet lemon cookie with the tart lemon filling is perfect!